have. Furthermore, the present laws do not
attain their object. We all pretend to obey the laws but everyone knows
that in every city there are many women, and men also, who make an
excellent income from performing abortions. I would venture to say that
in Chicago alone there is at least one abortion performed every
hour--and Chicago is not so very different from other parts of the
country in this respect. The ways and means to prevent pregnancy are
sold and are bringing a rich reward to their manufacturers. But the
advertisements are so carefully worded that the law is not violated. But
the interested understand. If the manufacturer or his agent were accused
of selling anything to prevent pregnancy, he would simulate great
surprise and possible indignation. He doing such a thing! Impossible!
Why, he is selling a simple hygienic device or drug used in the
treatment of certain diseases.

If we have laws, let us obey them; but if we do not intend to obey them,
let us stop being hypocrites and remove them from the statutes. If the
law remains let us make it far-reaching enough to include those who now
are so flagrantly violating it. But if means for the prevention of
pregnancy are necessary to the health and happiness of the human race,
let us change the laws so we can have the best of these preventives and
allow reputable physicians to give whatever information they can to
prevent this wholesale misuse of a law by the unscrupulous,--the
law-breakers.

A recent investigation carried on by one magazine proved that the
knowledge of how to prevent conception would not mean race suicide, as
some fear. As reported in this magazine, the college girls and
professional women who no doubt had given these subjects careful
consideration, desired children more than did those whose experience had
been a poor home and a large family. The average number of children
desired by the well-informed woman was four. That would not mean
race-suicide! It would mean that children were given a fair start in
life by being desired and planned for before their conception. Every
true woman desires a home and children but she does not wish to be
driven into motherhood. Every true man desires a family but he does not
feel justified in bringing children into the world to be half starved
and with no advantages of education.

What is the solution of the problem?

CHAPTER XIII

SOME OF THE CAUSES OF DIVORCE

Until our marriage laws are so ad